Storz Triumph Beer Flat Top Can

Omaha's Storz Triumph Flat Top

The Storz Triumph Beer flat top can dates to circa 1960 and was produced by the Storz Brewing Company of Omaha, Nebraska. Distinguishing this specific issue in collector catalogs is the red cursive script used for the subtitle "Lager Beer," which rests beneath the bold line "WORLD'S FINEST". The twelve-ounce steel can displays clean mid-century graphic design balanced with vintage heraldic motifs. Across the front, a dynamic diagonal blue sash carries the Triumph lettering, framed by an upper Storz ribbon, hop vine line art, and a trio of exhibition medallions highlighting honors the brewery received at historic competitions, including the 1898 Trans-Mississippi Exposition in Omaha and the 1912 Paris Exposition.

Triumph was one of Storz’s most enduring brand names, tracing its origins back to the pre-Prohibition era when the brewery sponsored local athletic groups, such as Omaha's semi-professional Storz Triumph baseball team. Promoted under slogans like "World's Finest Lager Beer," the label served as the company's flagship pale lager and was marketed as a smooth, slow-aged beer designed to compete against the country's leading national lagers. Following packaging redesigns through the 1950s and early 1960s, Triumph survived the shift to tab-top cans before production eventually ceased after subsequent corporate changes.

The Storz Brewing Company originated in 1876 when German immigrant Gottlieb Storz partnered in an Omaha brewery founded in 1863, eventually gaining complete ownership. It developed into one of Omaha’s famed "Big Four" breweries. The company navigated Nebraska’s early state prohibition and national Prohibition by manufacturing near-beer and soft drinks. After Repeal, modernizations at its North 16th Street plant allowed Storz to expand aggressively, becoming Nebraska's top-selling brewer around the onset of World War II. By the 1960s, competitive pressures from national brewing giants eroded regional market share. The Storz family sold the business in 1966, and its new owners subsequently sold the labels to Grain Belt Breweries, leading to the permanent closure of the historic Omaha plant in 1972.

For breweriana collectors, Storz Triumph cans are cherished artifacts of Midwestern brewing heritage. Representing the twilight of the flat top era before tab tops took over the market, this can embodies both the proud award-winning heritage of Nebraska's premier regional brewer and the striking commercial artistry of mid-century tin containers.